Advocacy

What's Happening in Washington

Easterseals Federal Program Investments Signed into Law

On September 28th, President Trump signed into law a fiscal year 2019 funding bill that included significant investments for Easterseals-operated federal programs, including the Senior Community Service Employment Program ($400 million), Early Intervention Grants for Infants and Families ($470 million), Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities ($391 million), Head Start and Early Head Start ($10.063 billion), Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program ($50 million), and the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grant Program ($3.521 billion).

Easterseals Office of Public Affairs has updated its federal program funding chart to reflect these new investments (PDF). In addition, H.R. 6157 included a short-term funding extension through December 7th of federal departments and programs not completed by the start of the fiscal year. The legislation was overwhelmingly approved in the U.S. Senate on September 18th and the U.S. House of Representatives on September 26th.

Read and share these stories from Medicaid enrollees

One of every seven Medicaid enrollees is a person with a disability, and now Congress is considering health care proposals that restrict access to critical Medicaid services.

Read more than 100 storieswe've collected from parents of children with disabilities and from adults and seniors with disabilities in the Easterseals family who depend on Medicaid for their health, independence and well-being. Join more than 2,000 people who have already voiced their concern by signing our petition.

Each day, decisions are being made in Washington, D.C., that will affect people with disabilities and Easterseals' ability to provide services to them, as well as to meet Easterseals' mission today and for years to come. The unmet needs of people with disabilities will continue to go unaddressed if Easterseals is not engaged in educating public policy makers about people with disabilities' disproportionate reliance on government for health, education, employment, transportation and other needed services. Sign up to receive Easterseals advocacy alerts.

This chart, developed by Easterseals Office of Public Affairs, tracks the funding history of federal disability programs. The chart divides the information by agency, listing underneath each agency specific programs that matter to children and adults with disabilities.

Easterseals supports a rigorous debate on policies and strategies to grow the economy, improve our nation’s fiscal health, and strengthen and protect social programs for our country’s most vulnerable populations. Proposals related to the federal budget, tax reform, deficit reduction, and strategic investments may have a direct impact on the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Easterseals policy decisions on fiscal policy and tax reform will be based on Easterseals Principles on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform as approved by the Easterseals Board of Directors on October 20, 2017.

People with disabilities and Easterseals have a significant stake in government programs. For many children and adults with disabilities, their ability to get an education, earn a living and live independently in the community is dictated by the availability of services and supports, many of which come only from the federal government.

Easterseals has been active in public policy advocacy since our founder, Edgar Allen, lobbied the Ohio Legislature to fund appropriate services for children with disabilities in the 1920s. We continue to actively support and promote federal legislation that helps people with disabilities achieve independence.